Oklahoma leaps to hot start in Game 2 of CWS Final vs. North Carolina
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Oklahoma defeated North Carolina 9-3 in Game 1 of the College World Series finals on Saturday.
Game 2’s gotten off to a great start for the Sooners, too. Thanks to an error by Tar Heels catcher Colin Hynek and a booming Jaxon Willits double, Oklahoma has opened up a 2-0 first-inning lead at Charles Schwab Field.
True freshman right-hander Xander Mercurius did his part in the top of the inning, striking the Tar Heels out in order. The Sooners’ offense went to work after that. Jason Walk reached on a single and Cam Johnson walked to put runners at first and second with no one out.
Then, with Deiten LaChance at the plate, Oklahoma opened the second.Hynek’s throw to try to catch Johnson stealing second went into the outfield, scoring Walk to make it 1-0.
That brought up Jaxon Willits. The junior infielder, celebrating his first Father’s Day since his wife gave birth to the couple’s daughter in March, boomed a hard-hit RBI double off the wall to double the Sooners’ lead.
After finishing as runners-up to Ole Miss in 2022, Oklahoma is on the verge of its first national championship since 1994. The Sooners are looking to continue the SEC‘s dominance in Omaha: the last six champions have been from the conference.
Meanwhile, North Carolina, which has never won a College World Series, is looking to force a deciding game on Monday.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
